This invention relates to a device for leveling, aligning and properly spacing tiles. Tiles are usually laid on a substrate or subsurface such a floor or other flat surface adjacent to each other and spaced apart from each other by a small gap. Typically an adhesive is troweled on the surface where the tile is to be applied. Adhesive may also be applied to the back side of the tile. The tile is then placed and adhered to the subsurface. Another tile is then adhered to the subsurface in the same manner next to the previous tile. Typically, spacers may be used to evenly space one tile from the other. However, depending on the unevenness of the subsurface e, i.e., floor, on which the tiles are applied and the unevenness of the applied adhesive, adjacent tiles are not always aligned and thus are not level relative to each other. In this regard, an edge of one tile may extend beyond an edge of an adjacent tile. To overcome this problem, a leveling device has been created which includes a leveling member 10 and a wedge 12, as for example shown in FIG. 1. The leveling member has a vertically aligned member 14 and a generally horizontally curving member 16 (the “horizontal member”), as shown in FIG. 1. The vertical member extends from the horizontal member. A breakaway line 22 is defined on the vertical member on either surface thereof proximate the horizontal member. The breakaway line is defined by removing material from either surface of the vertical member such that the thickness of the vertical member along the line is reduced and the vertical member is weaker along such line.
The device is placed such that one end of the tile sits on one end of the horizontal member of the device and abuts one surface of the vertical member of the device and an adjacent tile sits on the other end of the horizontal member and abuts an opposite surface of the vertical member, as for example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. The wedge member is then pushed through opening 20. As the wedge is continually pushed through opening 20 due to its increasing thickness, it causes the edge of each tile to be compressed downward pressing the horizontal member beneath it toward the subsurface. As a result the tiles are aligned and leveled, as shown in FIG. 4. The spacing between the tiles is controlled by the thickness of the vertical member. Once the tiles set, the vertical member along with the wedge is broken off by kicking or applying a force on the vertical member such that it breaks along the weaker breakaway line 22. As can be seen in FIG. 5, the breakaway line is positioned such that it is flush with the undersurface of the tiles when the tiles are adhered to the floor. The problem with this device is that at times, adhesive fills out the breakaway line. In this regard, it is very difficult to break off the vertical member from the horizontal member due to the adhesive on the breakaway line. Moreover, adhesive at times may not extend over the horizontal member. Consequently, the ends of the portions of the tile which extend over the horizontal member are not adhered to the undersurface or to the horizontal member which may have adhered to the undersurface. As such, these non-adhered ends of the tiles are susceptible to cracking, as they are not properly supported. Consequently, a leveling, aligning and spacing device is required that overcomes the problems of the prior art.